The present invention relates generally to saddlery, and more particularly to billet straps for use with a cinch in securing a Western saddle to a horse.
In the horse industry, a girth is distinguished from a cinch. A girth is a xe2x80x9cbelly bandxe2x80x9d that attaches to an English saddle, while a cinch attaches to a Western saddle. English saddles and Western saddles (i.e., xe2x80x9ccowboyxe2x80x9d saddles having a horn used for roping) are distinctly different in shape, construction, and use.
A Western saddle is secured to a horse by passing a cinch under the belly of the horse and attaching the cinch to the saddle. A billet strap is an optional accessory that can be used to connect a cinch to a Western saddle.
A billet strap is typically looped through a D-ring attached to a Western saddle and connects a cinch to the saddle by way of a buckle on the cinch. Most billet straps have a series of holes defined therein to receive the tongue of the buckle on the cinch. In some configurations, billet straps may be formed from multiple straps that attach to one or more D-rings on the saddle.
Historically, a cinch was tied to the D-ring on the offside of a Western saddle (i.e., the horse""s right side), passed under the belly, and tied to the D-ring on the nearside of the saddle (i.e., the horse""s left side). The advent of billet straps for connecting a cinch to a Western saddle eliminated the need for the offside knot, which can be bulky under a rider""s leg, potentially uncomfortable for the horse, and possibly painful girth galls. Billet straps, nevertheless, remains an optional feature as a buckled cinch can still be tied to the offside saddle D-ring.
Billet straps are typically made of leather, though they can be made of other materials such as nylon. While the series of holes in a billet strap allows a horse rider to somewhat adjust the fit of the cinch to the horse (i.e., adjust how tight the cinch is secured to the horse), a rider may still be required to readjust the tension of the cinch during a ride to accommodate shifting in the position of the saddle and/or cinch. Typically, the tension of the cinch is adjusted during the ride by having to get off the horse and tighten the nearside knot (latigo). A cinch that is too tight may be uncomfortable for the horse and potentially restrict its breathing and/or performance to a degree, while a cinch that is too loose does not securely hold the saddle to the horse. There is a need, therefore, for a billet strap that automatically and more finely adjusts the tension of a cinch, which increases the comfort for a horse. The present invention is a billet strap that addresses this need without requiring riders to change the type of cinch they are currently using.
The present invention is an improved billet strap that includes a portion of stretch material that allows the billet strap to adjust and maintain the tension of a cinch (which should increase the comfort of the horse) when the billet strap is used to connect the cinch to a Western saddle. In one embodiment, the billet strap is comprised of two portions made of a nonstretching material joined together by a portion made of a stretching material. The stretching material has a higher degree of elasticity than the nonstretching material, and may be covered by a protective sleeve. The protective sleeve may cover all or only a portion of the billet strap. In another embodiment, the billet strap is comprised of multiple nonstretching portions joined together by stretching portions. In yet another embodiment, the billet strap is comprised entirely of a stretching material. In still another embodiment, the billet strap is comprised of a portion of stretching material connected to a portion of nonstretching material.